The invention relates to a motor vehicle operating device.
Increasingly, modern motor vehicles have an operating device constructed separately from a display device in the area of the center console. Such an operating device is known, for example, from European patent document EP 0893750 B1. In this case, the operating device has a switching element which can be bidirectionally rotated about its axis of symmetry and which, in addition, is disposed in an axially movable (pushable) and tilting or slidable manner. As a result, by means of a rotating, pushing and/or tilting/sliding of the switching element, for example, menu items can be marked and selected or parameters can be set on a display device.
It is now an object of the invention to provide an improved motor vehicle operating device.
This and other objects are achieved by a motor vehicle operating device according to the invention having a display device, an operating element and a control device which are mutually coupled and set up with respect to the hardware and/or the program such that the display device shows an operating element symbol which corresponds to the operating element with respect to the outline shape (for example, a circle).
By use of the operating element, particularly by a rotating of the operating element, menu items of a hierarchical menu structure can be marked or selected.
A selection of a first menu item from a plurality of menu items, which can be made based on a rotating degree of freedom of the operating element, is displayed in that a line is displayed extending from the operating element symbol in the direction of a first or selected menu item representation, which is part of a plurality of selectable menu item representations.
The driver thereby recognizes by means of which operating degree of freedom menu items can be instantaneously selected and which menu item is instantaneously selected or marked. In addition, the driver easily recognizes on the basis of which rotating direction a desired menu item can be selected starting from the instantaneously selected menu item. This is the result of the display of the arrangement of the operating element symbol relative to the menu item representations and facilitates the reliable, fast and error-free selection of menu items particularly during the drive. This advantage is still intensified by the following further developments.
The menu item representation, which is part of a plurality of selectable menu item representations and in whose direction the line display extends that starts from the operating element, preferably takes place in a highlighted manner.
An operating action corresponding to the rotating degree of freedom preferably has the effect that, starting from the operating element symbol, a line is displayed in the direction of a menu item representation which is adjacent to the menu item representation presently selected and which is part of a plurality of selectable menu item representations (no longer in the direction of the menu item representation selected so far).
An operating action corresponding to the rotating degree of freedom preferably has the effect that the menu item representation which is adjacent to the menu item representation selected so far (i.e., the menu item presently selected) and is part of a plurality of selectable menu item representations and in whose direction the line display extends which starts from the operating element, is displayed in a highlighted manner (no longer the menu item representation selected so far).
It is preferably provided that a final selection of the menu item, whose pertaining menu item representation takes place in a highlighted manner and in whose direction the line display extends which starts from the operating element, is made by a pushing on the operating element.
In the case of the simultaneous representation of different menu levels, of which one menu level is active (or selected; marked, for example, by a highlighted representation of the menu level), the operating element symbol is preferably always displayed in a manner assigned to the active menu level. The operating element symbol is, for example, displayed in the proximity of the active menu level, completely or partially superimposed on the active menu level and/or in a void of the menu level representation provided for this purpose.
It is particularly preferred that, as a result of a movement of the operating element in a direction which, starting from the display of the operating symbol, corresponds to the direction of a representation of a further menu level, the further menu level will become active (the previously active menu level will become inactive) and the operating element symbol will be displayed in a manner assigned to this now active menu level.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.